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Clans
The Clans – Outlines The Birdspeakers The Birdspeakers are a group of individuals who band together having established that they have the innate ability to speak to birds. This ability may materialise at any age and so new members may be drawn into Britain Below at any time. Unlike the Ratspeakers, who the Birdspeakers abhor, they do not serve the species that they can communicate with, but more try to work alongside them in a mutual arrangement. Birdspeakers are usually affiliated with a single type of bird who will always speak to them, but this does not prevent them from attempting a discussion with another species. They are very much the eyes of upworld and bring important information to Britain Below. The Blackfriars The Blackfriars are a devout religious order dedicated to opposing the machinations of the Whitefriars due to their beliefs that the denizens of the ‘otherside’ should remain there, arguing the case that even in the religious texts, not all ‘angels’ or other beings are benevolent. Whilst the vast majority of the Blackfriars in the UK are based in the Christian religion, there is no reason that a group couldn’t be based in an alternative religion with the same aims. The Constabulary The Constabulary are plain clothed police officers trained in magic and specially seconded to the underworld in order to maintain order and ensure that British Law is applicable even out of the sights of the court. Focusing on the law as much as justice, they should aim to hold to the tenets of their work and not slip to the easy ways of many of the people that they seek to police. The Coventina The Coventina are the half children of the Spirits of the great rivers of the United Kingdom. They are naturally gifted in water magics, though their capabilities are far stronger in their catchments than when they travel. The Greyfriars The Greyfriars are a mystery to most of the other clans. They seem to side with none, indeed that well maintained neutrality is incredibly important to the order and to holding peace in Britain Below. They are arbiters of justice, though many are trained in the ways of either the martial or medical arts in order to facilitate their welcome everywhere. The Hunters The Hunters are interested in one thing, hunting. Whether it be the tales of old hunts or plans and practice for future hunts, their lives are consumed by the chase. Hunters may team up to take down a particularly large prey, but there is more glory to be had in working alone. The Ratspeakers Ratspeakers serve and venerate rats of all forms. They are the spies and gossips of the underworld, constantly chattering amongst themselves. They and their masters can get into most places, which often clashes with many groups views on privacy, and as such they are often unwelcome for fear that secrets would be taken. However the Ratspeakers are numerous, and a move against one can bring along a whole clan for retribution. The Sewerfolk The sewerfolk are looked down on by the rest of Britain Below, but this doesn’t offend them. Quite the opposite, they enjoy being looked down on and underestimated. They are the archetypal underdogs. The sewerfolk live on the things they find and their wits; they are wheelers and dealers and love nothing more than selling something from the depths that they found for a considerable profit. The Temporals Every now and then, someone or something gets lost through the cracks into Britain Below. The Temporals are groups of people that seem to have been lost through time and somehow ended up at the floating market; Be they from Ancient Rome, the Dark Ages or the Renaissance, these are often small groups dedicated to finding their way back to their correct timeline. The Upworlders Upworlders are exactly what they sound like, individuals who have fallen through the cracks of the present day and found their way to the Floating Market. There is a major difference to the Temporals, in that Upworlders never seem to come through in groups, only ever alone. The Velvets Velvets are true predators of Britain both above and below, they are the stuff that passes between worlds in legends of vampires. Provided they feed then they can live for many years and can therefore be a source of great information; however that often can come at a price. The Whitefriars The Whitefriars are a devout religious order dedicated to opening the gateways to the ‘otherside’ where they believe that benevolent entities, known in Christianity as Angels, will come through to aid humanity. Whilst the vast majority of the Whitefriars in the UK are based in the Christian religion, there is no reason that a group couldn’t be based in an alternative religion with the same aims.